Munnar

Munnar, literally meaning three rivers is a gorgeous hill station in Kerala that lies at the confluence of the three rivers Madurapuzha, Nallathani and Kundala. The land of Munnar is covered with a wide green carpet of tea estates, hills and forests and adorned with cool and calm lakes. The mesmerising beauty of this city can be enjoyed by visiting Echo point, Elephant Lake, Rose Garden, Photo point, Lakkam Water Falls and Power House Falls. There are many more lakes, waterfalls, dams and picnic spots that contribute to the rejuvenating atmosphere of Munnar making it a favourite with tourists. Eco tourism enthusiasts have a great opportunity here to visit the Rajamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and Thattekkad or Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary. A unique tourist attraction is the Tata Tea museum where one can learn about Tea nurturing and processes related to it. There are also places beckoning the adventurous in Munnar for rock climbing and trekking.
Munnar can be reached by road from Cochin which is the nearest airport city, or from Alwaye or Angamaly with the nearest railway stations.
Best time to visit: Throughout the year except monsoon months June and July
Languages spoken: Malayalam, Tamil, English
Climate: Pleasant summers, heavy rains during monsoon and cold winters
Natural wonders: Attukal Waterfalls, Devikulam, Kalvari Mount, Kundala, Lock Heart Gap, Cheeyappara Waterfalls
Places to visit: Chittirapuram, Pallyvasal Hydel Power Project, Malankara Reservoir, Marayoor, Mattupetty, Kokkumalai Tea Estates
National Parks and Sanctuaries: Eravikulam National Park, Rajamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary

A DAY AT MUNNAR – CONFLUENCE OF THREE RIVER

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After an hour or so we reached at our Friend Parent’s house at Kothamangalam (Town in the foothills of Western Ghat mountain range) where we were warmly welcomed by her family. We were offered the wonderful , delicious mouth-watering Kerala Breakfast Appam (Pancake made of Rice and Coconut) and Stew ( a dish made with potatoes, onions, vegetables & coconut milk).After finishing our breakfast we had again started our onwards journey towards the Tea plantation estate Munnar.

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Kerala – A Trip to the God’s Own Country

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This was the best experience of all as we were on the houseboat for the first time. The person driving the boat was amazing. Thought of being on water for 22 hrs was amazing. The boat went through several lakes and canals. We saw several villages where the only means of transportation was boat.

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On the trail of Nilgiri TAHR

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I wanted to see and photograph the elusive mountain goat known as Nilgiri Tahr for some time, and grabbed the opportunity three years ago when I traveled to Kerala with my brother. It was a long flight from Canada, via London and Dubai and landed in Cochin. After a brief rest we went to Kottayam, some 45 miles south and from there drove four hours east to Munnar, a hill station famous for its tea plantations. It was late September and the climate was perfect. Surrounded by huge mountains and lush forest interlaced with streams, this area is ideal for wildlife habitat.

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Bangalore – Munnar.. Road review

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Finally, after planning for almost 4 years, we made it to Munnar. One thing that I searched for before this trip was a description about the route (fast and best). Though I found the information in bits and pieces, it was not a holistic one. This is one of the major contributing factor for me to write about it.
Best option to get to Munnar would be to take a train till Coimbatore and hit the road from there on. There are 2 trains from Bangalore to Coimbatore. Planning in advance will be required to secure a confirmed berth in the train.

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Alleppey Backwaters

Visit to God’s own country – Kerala

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Cochin is about 50 kms from Alleppey. After visiting Maritime Navy Museum, we headed for Fort Cochin area. Fort Cochin area consists of Churches, Dutch Palace and Jewish Synagogue. For history enthusiasts its a place for going back in the past and know about Jews, Portuguese and dutch reign in Cochin.

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Kerala – A Tourist State

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The emphasis is on the ‘paying’ tourist and not on the spot. Well some of us definitely enjoy this ‘tourism’ but some of us want to run away from it. Having access to mineral water on a hill top is good, but more important is access to written material about the place, the history, the geography.

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Sweet and Sour Kerala Trip Part 2 – Beautiful Munnar

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Our driver suggested us to stop at a point where you can enjoy Elephant Ride. We were first not in a mood but considering our little daughter will have some fun, we decided to stop by. Then we had to think again about taking a ride as they charge quite much for a 15 min ride. 350 rs per person was not a fair deal but innocent and disappointed looks on daughter’s face persusded us to go for it. I was afraid of the ride at first but once the elephant started moving it was very enjoyable. The ride takes you back to childhood age and you want to scream loud in happiness and glory of sitting on an elephant. The only thing that disappointed us was the condition of elephants and the rude way in which they were being treated.  I had a pity on poor animals.

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